The Next Interactive Dialogue

Are you competing on price or brand value?

Are you connecting with customers on an emotional level?

Is what you stand for clearly communicated in your products and services?

(or) Are you still stuck in the paradigm of wondering what size of display is going to be competitive? 

Many consumers have an emotional connection to their vehicles, so much so that they refer to them by name. That connection is a result of what the vehicle lets them do, who it helps them be and the freedom and flexibility that it provides. Our vehicles are critical enablers in our lives that let us pursue our dreams, expand the definition of our personal selves and connect with others. Usefulness, utility and ease-of-use are base-level expectations of consumers in regards to their vehicles.

To-date, human-interaction systems in vehicles have been comprised of physical controls, individual vehicle components, user interfaces, feature and function logic, device connections, and occasional application and service access. Many input modalities were experimented with but direct touch, voice and a handful of physical button types prevailed. System design was applied across these elements to find opportunities for re-use, find efficiencies, find cost savings and create a familiar, recognizable look and feel. Some companies saved more time and money and implemented consistencies more than others. For the most part though, there is not a lot of differentiation in the way that drivers and passengers interact with today’s vehicle interactive systems.

Digital technology, connectivity, algorithms, new multi-sensory inputs and outputs, cameras, sensors and more are evolving the domains of entertainment, navigation, communication and awareness of our ourselves and our surroundings. Other digital technologies in our lives, like mobile phones, still dominate our attention. They provide access to our personal services in vehicles but due to only moderate interoperability, the same systems of perpetual notifications and attention addiction now increase our degree of distraction.

What will be the cause and effect of understanding the driver and passenger’s physical and mental states, of anticipating their needs and augmenting their skills? Often referred to as Affective Computing, designing these systems are the primary challenge of contemporary interactive vehicle systems.

Vehicle manufactures, suppliers and others now have the opportunity to craft interactive dialogues that move beyond function and use to enable activities, enhance deficiencies, introduce personality, make predictions and generally enhance the capabilities of the driver and passengers.

Let’s hope that the “Feel” is going to progressively shift and expand into new rich, multi-sensory, cognitive, behavioral and emotional realms. My anticipation is that this will be done with fewer screens - with more “invisible tech” that isn’t antiquated at launch. The efficacy of voice interaction, haptics, lighting and sonic vocabularies are not limited by screen size or resolution. What matters is the interface and the feedback and its meaning, not the size of the screens and whether of not they are curved or 3D.

However, the human need will remain the same – to connect with others more deeply, provide a service to their community, pass down their skills to their children or effortlessly swap between the many hats and roles (Mom, coach, chauffeur, boss, friend) that they play throughout the day. These activities, roles and emotionally fulfilling outcomes ought to be the primary inputs to your future systems. And of course, the challenges of cost, re-use and safety will still remain. Let me help you navigate these complex systems and make decisions along the way that result in tangible product and service interactions and experiences.

movotiv

Product, Service & Emotional System - Design Consulting & Collaboration